Could snow tires be mandatory for Vancouver drivers?

After being walloped by winter weather this year, Vancouver is considering bylaw changes when it comes to how to deal with ill-prepared drivers trying to navigate those snow-filled streets.

On Wednesday, council is set to mull the findings and recommendations in a snow-preparedness report that looks at different ways the city could effectively deal with extended visits from Old Man Winter in the future.

One of the recommendations in particular looks at amending a street and traffic bylaw “to improve enforcement” when it comes to making sure drivers are properly prepared for slippery winter streets.

Among this improved enforcement? Potential fines for drivers that are on the road in snow conditions without winter tires.

“Some of the obstacles to snow clearing included people driving ill-equipped private vehicles that blocked traffic and snow clearing equipment,” reads the report.

Other actions recommended in the report include:

• Installation of signage at entry points to the city to reinforce that vehicles need
to be properly equipped to drive in the city during snow events; and
• Inclusion of information about public responsibilities for winter driving
readiness in the City of Vancouver with City tax receipt mail outs.

The report also noted that winters like the one we just experienced happen, on average, “every one in ten years.”

However, the length of this year’s cold snap “was something the City generally experiences only once every 30 years.”